Reviving the charm of antiques, heirlooms and personal treasures.
Restoration of Fine Furniture
Expert Care for Your Treasures
Expert Furniture Restoration Services
I work on all different kinds of furniture. Not all of the projects that I do are complete restorations. Some just want a chair re-glued, or a piece of veneer repaired on a drawer, or a molding made. It does not matter how big or small the project is, I am interested in working on your piece. I specialize in antique furniture restoration but if your kitchen chair needs to be re-glued, I will do that; or, if your mid-century table needs the finish repaired, I'll do that. I work with many other materials and repair things other than wood; I like a challenge.
I take great pride in what I do. The project does not leave the shop until I am pleased. My name and reputation rests on each piece. I have many repeat customers, and references available. One client that refers me to many people, said to me, "It is so nice to have a restorer, that can be trusted, that will do a great job, and the client will be pleased with the work."
List of Services I provide but not limited to:
RE-GLUING
When I re-glue a chair or other piece of furniture, I take it totally apart and re-glue it. It is the only way to ensure tightening the whole piece. Spreading the joint and slipping some glue in will only last a few weeks. It is not good enough. The joints must be taken apart, the joints cleaned, and then re-glued.
VENEER REPAIR
I do re-gluing of loose veneer, patching of missing veneer, as well as re-veneering of whole pieces.
FABRICATION OF MISSING PARTS
If you have a piece that is missing a piece, such as a rosette, spindle, back splash, fret work, I can recreate it. Sometimes it is necessary for me to do research to determine what was there.
INLAY & MARQUETRY WORK
I can make missing pieces of inlay and marquetry. If the inlay and marquetry is loose, I can re-glue it.
CARVING & TURNING
If carving needs to be done to replace a missing piece, I can do that. I also do turning of missing pieces.
SAVING OLD FINISHES
I do strip and refinish furniture but I prefer to save the old finish when possible. Old finishes can become dark and unattractive, but there are ways to remove the many years of furniture polish, dirt and grime. It is a case of cleaning the surface, doing any touch-up work that needs to be done, and then putting more finish on top of the original. If it is an antique, sometimes the client wants the dry old finish look, some want the finish to be smooth to see the beauty of the wood but still see the age and patina of the original finish.
REFINISHING
When a finish has lost its adhesive to the surface, then the piece needs to be refinished. Another reason to refinish a piece is when a client wants the look of a piece to be different; be it lighter or completely changed, and other ways are not effective.
KINDS OF FINISHES THAT I DO
Shellac Finishes
French Polishing
Sprayed Finishes
Hand Rubbed Finishes
FIRE & WATER DAMAGE RESTORATION
MOVING DAMAGE RESTORATION
LEATHER & CLOTH SURFACES REPLACED
COLOR MATCHING
If you have a certain color that you have in mind for a piece, I can match to that color.
FURNITURE CONVERTED TO OTHER PIECES
ON SITE FURNITURE REPAIR & TOUCH-UP
Gordon Mitchell Furniture Restoration
Sentimental Value
Much of the work that I do, includes pieces that are sentimental to the client. It is an heirloom or it is going to be one someday. These pieces have a story and when you perserve the piece, you also preserve the story.
I just finished a set of Birdcage Windsor Chairs for a man that told me, he remembers going with his father looking for these chairs when he was a kid. Now he has a family and will pass them down to his kids.
I have heard many stories of how these pieces of furniture that I am being asked to restore have been passed down or are now going to be passed down to the next generation. Often the piece belonged to a loved one that has passed on, or was a piece that is associated with that person and invokes a happy memory. Sometimes it is a piece from a parent or friend, who does not live near by anymore, and the piece was left to them. These objects become so much more than a chair, or a desk; they tell a story and hold memories of people, places, and times in our lives that we treasure.
When I do a project, I give you a set of photos of before and during the restoration. I do this so you will have photos of what was done to your piece and you can keep them with the piece.
You are not just passing on a piece of furniture; it is a piece of history...your history.
When to Have Your Furniture Re-glued
How to test if your dining room chairs, kitchen chairs, or rocker needs to be re-glued.
If you hold on to the seat of the chair and move the chair back and forth and you can see the joints move; it is time to have the chair re-glued. To test the back of the chair, place one hand on the seat and the other hand on the top of the back and if it moves back and forth than it needs to be re-glued. I have seen chairs, after being loose for so long, the joints break and even worse, the legs will break in half. The longer you wait, the more expensive the repair could be.
This same test holds true with case pieces: chest of drawers, china cabinets, breakfronts, desks, grandfather clocks. When you start to see the moldings getting loose or joints opening up, it is time to have the piece checked out.
Over time, glues let go. I have seen even modern chairs, that were made only 20 years ago, have the glue let go and I have re-glued them.
Tables are tested the same way; if you hold on to the table top, move it back and forth, and the joints move, they are loose and need to be re-glued. It is better to re-glue them now than to wait until it gets worse, and the joints are breaking.
Veneers, inlays, marquetry, and moldings also come loose. If you are dusting your piece and the rag catches on a loose or lifting piece, it can fall off. Have it worked on before this happens. Waiting leads to missing pieces that now have to be fabricated. It is more expensive to do this extra work.
Think of it as you do your car or your house; you have to keep up with its maintenance to keep it in good shape so it will last. It is just as important to keep up with the maintenance of your furniture, especially those pieces that have been passed down and will continue to be passed down. Don't wait, address the problem now.
Drop Leaf Table
Refinished Table
Secretary Desk
Refinished Desk